Brilliant
by LordWolf77
Summary: When Harry plays against Fate, what will happen?
1. Chapter 1

"You're a Wizard Harry," the giant man told a small malnourished boy as he sat beside the fire.

"About time someone spoke those words." The boy said.

"You knew?" His Aunt spoke up from the stairs.

"Of course, I knew. How could I not? For years you and your whale of a husband have been telling me that all the strange things are my fault, and yet Magic is supposedly unreal? What kind of idiot do you take me for?"

The giant looked between the two warring parties and spoke up. "You didn't tell the boy? Any of it?"

"We swore when we took him in that we would put an end to all this rubbage."

"Vernon, shut up while you still can," the boy turned to the giant. "Can we leave this disaster? I know it is the middle of a storm, however, I do not trust myself to control my Magic yet, and as much as I hate these two they are the only family I have, and I do not wish them harm."

"The name is Hagrid. Of course, let's leave." The dumbfounded giant spoke, slowly ushering Harry out of the shack on a rock in the middle of the sea. The two left on a small raft that Hagrid charmed to be unsinkable and to row itself. They rode in as much silence as one might expect during the middle of a storm. When they reached land some minutes later, Harry followed Hagrid up the shore towards a motorbike with a side car.

The large man pulled a small scarf from the side car and told Harry to grab the other side. They disappeared in a blink.

Harry flew from the vortex like travel and slammed into a solid wood door, the hook like feeling at his navel throwing off his balance.

"Sorry 'bout that. That there is a Portkey, short distance emergency travel generally. Would have taken the bike but the wind would have gotten us both sick." The tall man picked Harry up from the ground just in time to keep him from being run over by a small silver-haired girl.

"See Daddy, I told you this was the right day to be here." The young girl called behind her to the man who could have been only her father.

"Ah, so you did. Then this must be the young Harry Potter. A pleasure dear sir. Speak your piece Luna dear and let them be."

"Daddy is such a spoil sport, not that I blame him, I have only been going on about this since you figured out what you are. Ruin all of Fate's fun, don't you? Course, that is to be expected with you Harry. Harry, just remember that there will be very few people you can trust in the Wizarding World. Suspect everyone and you'll be okay, listen to everyone and you will not. Good luck."

With that, the strange girl and her father left, a strange snap sounding around the corner after them.

"Who was that Hagrid?"

"That was Xenophilius and his daughter Luna Lovegood. Xenophilius is the Head of the Minor House of Lovegood. A few generations old is all, but power and wit to no end, before his wife passed. Anyway, welcome to the Leaky Cauldron Harry. This is where you go to find Diagon Alley." Hagrid lead Harry through the nearly abandoned pub and into a small back alley. He tapped a series of bricks on the wall and caused the wall to turn into a dance of sorts as the bricks moved themselves and formed an entry way. "Welcome to Diagon Alley."

The streets were darkened but lit slightly by torches. Even through the dark the large marble building at the end of the Alley could be seen. "Hagrid how am I supposed to pay for a room here?"

"That building up there is Gringotts. A Wizard's bank run by Goblins. Not particularly friendly but still the best at keeping money. Follow me and don't stray."

The duo walked the darkened Alley, Harry looking left and right, seeing shops and Witches and Wizards in dark cloaks, hiding slightly in shadow, whispering. They approached the Bank at the end of the way. They entered and walked between the empty stalls of Gringotts to the main teller booth.

Hagrid made to interrupt the Goblin as he counted small gems, but Harry elbowed him and shook his head signaling to wait. Confused, Hagrid simply waited as Harry seemed patient enough to do, not something commonly found in the Wizarding World. Soon enough the Goblin in question was done counting and weighing the stones.

"Can I help you?" A simple question though laced with malice as though they were bothering the Goblin after the Bank was closed.

"I am sorry for the interruption sir however, I am in need of money. My large friend here, though impatient, said I could obtain some here for my school shopping."

The Goblin looked down at the boy from over top the desk. "Name?"

"Harry James Potter."

"And do you have your key Mr. Potter?"

"Key, sir?"

"To your vault. You would have been issued a key once the money left in your Trust Vault was made available to you at age 10." The Goblin was getting agitated by the lack of knowledge the young Wizard had.

"I never received a key."

"Oh," Hagrid spoke, "I knew I was forgetting something." He patted his pockets until he reached into his coat and pulled a shining golden key from one. "Here she is." He handed the key to the Goblin.

"And why do you have this young boy's key? It should have been issued to him, though he claims to know nothing about it." The Goblins in full battle attire in the corners had started to show interest in the only visitors to the Bank, eyeing the tall, broad man carefully.

"Professor Dumbledore gave me that key only this morning. I had no idea the lad didn't know. He said the boy in trusted it to him."

The guards moved to apprehend the large man. Harry held up his hand, asking for them to stop. "Please, sir. While I do not know anything about this key, I have gotten to know Hagrid a bit by now and he is not the kind to steal from me. I do not know a Professor Dumbledore however, he seems to have a bit of leeway in my life if the note I found amongst my mother's possessions is any clue. He is the one who decided to leave me with the Dursley's."

"Dursley? That monstrosity?" The Goblin was flabbergasted by the news.

"You know them?"

"I know a Mr. Vernon Dursley. He is an immigrant from Germany. Teamed up with the likes of Malfoy, he is a Minor House here in Britain and hasn't been in the Bank in nearly a decade. If his Vault wasn't still active we would think him dead."

"That evil son-of-a-…"

"Hagrid. Not now. If I were to tell you I know where he is and have proof of him doing me wrong what would happen?"

"Depending on the strikes against you, many things, including take over of House and Name."

Harry was deep in thought for a few moments, Hagrid cussing next to him under his breath. "After we make a withdraw I will show you what I have."

And with the decision made, Harry and Hagrid took a cart ride deep into the Gringotts Mine and to Harry's Vault. When the Goblin opened the Vault, Harry was shocked at the large pile of Galleons inside. On the way down, Harry had distracted Hagrid from the ride by talking to him about how the Wizarding World finances worked.

"Sharptongue, is it possible to get a bag to carry a very high amount of this without pulling down my trousers?"

The Goblin who accompanied them nodded and pulled a pouch from his vest pocket. "Feather-weight Charm as well as an expanded interior, likely to be able to hold everything here. Merely fifteen Galleons."

"Quite a high price."

"Quite a unique item, blood secured. Only you can open it."

Harry thought on the object, staring at his Vault. "How does the Trust Vault work?"

"Every year on your birthday a set amount will be transferred to this Vault from the main Family Vault. Only replenishing to that amount, this being set at about 15,000 Galleons, enough for whatever you could need for more than your school years. After you turn seventeen you will gain access to the Family Vault, at which time this will automatically be discontinued and transferred to the Family Vault."

Harry reached to the pile and handed the Goblin the money he asked for after one final question. "Can that hold anything I choose to put in it or just money?"

"Only money, though there are Trunks that allow for far more and with far more safety features."

Harry asked Hagrid to help him move all of the Vault's contents into the small bag before he tied it to his hip. The Goblin took a small knife and told Harry to let two drops of blood hit the purse-strings to seal the pouch to himself, which Harry did with little thought.

The three beings road the carts back up. Harry promised to return to the Bank the following day around sunset to give the head of the Bank any and all knowledge he had of Vernon and Petunia Dursley. Harry trudged through the Alley, Hagrid staying behind to access a separate Vault for Dumbledore, Harry having expressly stated his distrust and dislike of the man and leaving his friend to his duty. Harry passed most of the shops before settling on entering the Wizened Wizard's Store of Hard to Find Books. Unlike Flourish and Blotts, this store had all types of Magical Tomes, or at least it did according to the sign out front, something Harry would check the next day once Blott's was open.

He walked in, seeing shelf after shelf of books disappearing into the void of never-ending.

"Welcome to Wizened Wizard's, anything you particularly seek?" A severed head resting on a podium spoke to the newest of customers.

"What do you have on Wands, Enchanting, and Magical Foci?" Harry had learned from Hagrid on their return trip that Wands weren't the only Foci used in the Magical World. Of course, he said, now-a-days, since it was easiest to Craft, they were the most popular. Though Godric Gryffindor himself used a sword of all things to cast his Magic, Salazar Slytherin a locket, Rowena Ravenclaw a Ring, and Helga Hufflepuff a bracelet. Each had it's ups and downs but the most common, and by far middle ground, was the Wand.

"That is a new one for this old severed head… Let me see…" The Head's eyes rolled down, leaving pure white in their place, causing Harry to shiver just a bit. "Ah, here we are." Suddenly, the shelves in the room flew all around Harry, rearranging themselves. "Row one, top shelf, fifth book from the right, third shelf eighth from the left and bottom shelf dead center at 22 books from either side. Row two, second down twelfth from the right, bottom third from the left, third row top shelf three, four, five and six from the right. Fourth row, middle shelf, dead center. Those are what we have in order of what you asked. Anything more and we may have to put in an order to find it."

Harry moved about the shelves, using the ladder as needed, pulling each book out as he came across it.

"Those together will total out to about one-thousand Galleons."

"Why is the Wizarding World so expensive?"

"Everything is hand written, no printing presses here my boy. Do you want them all?"

Harry set the required number of Galleons on the podium. "Fair enough, I best have enough money for everything else I need for school."


	2. Chapter 2

Harry had spent the morning collecting from is list of needed items for school, he only spent about one-hundred fifty Galleons and had not bought a Wand. He had a month before he could use the thing anyway, he figured he might as well learn what they were like before he decided on that being his Foci, though to be fair, this list did specify a Wand.

Though Hagrid had told him he would meet him in the morning the large man never showed up in the Cauldron. Harry sat for lunch in the Cauldron reading through the first of his Wand books. The book was dense and had a lot of material but offered much in the way of explanation, at least as far as Wizards were concerned. Harry however, doubted much of what he read as there was little backing other than one Wizard's views. For instance, the need to use Wood as a base for a Wand. The Wizard said that no other material could be used as it would mute out the Magical Core, however, as Hagrid told him, a Goblin Steel sword could preform Magic, so that was obviously an opinion not fact.

Harry spent time flipping through the pages, carefully taking notes on a piece of parchment, not ready to get into it with the Witches and Wizards around about using Muggle items, besides, he needed to learn to write with a quill for school. Harry noted the different elements of the Woods and how they affected the Wand. It was strange that the Lore in the book was determined to tell the reader that it is the Wand that chooses the Wizard or Witch for which it was made. If that was true, the Wand was a sentient being and could think, but didn't have a brain of any sort. Strange place indeed.

While Harry was writing he paused when he heard a peculiar voice.

"Dad, why aren't the boys coming with us. It is their stuff that needs to be bought." A little red-haired girl trailed behind her red-headed father.

"Ginny, you know the boys are grounded, and while your mother is talented she cannot handle everything. I need you with me to help me and to limit the distractions to your mother. Those boys are going to be in loads of trouble if they don't get their act together."

Harry merely shrugged it off and went back to his soup and reading. The two barely registering as they quickly made it to the Alley. Harry had learned through his book several types of Woods were unaccounted for, though to be fair, one had to find a tree with mere branches that were Magical before they would make usable Woods for Wands.

He put away his book in his rented room and moved back into the Alley, content with the limited knowledge he had at this point. He still needed a trunk for his school supplies, preferably one that would only open for him. He entered the World-Famous Trunk Shoppe of London. Really, the Wizards came up with the worst names for everything. Inside were dozens if not hundreds of trunks. Different sizes and shapes, all customizable.

"Hello, I am guessing you are a Hogwarts Student?"

"Yes, any trunk you would recommend?"

"The Standard-Packer is what most go with, anything more is a much steeper price point."

"Do you have a list of options? I just want to be thorough, this will be mine for the foreseeable future of course."

The sweet young lady at the counter nodded and pulled out a brochure. "These are all of the options we have, anything bigger than the Standard I mentioned will have to be a mail order, we keep only the basics in stock as everything else is custom."

Harry flipped slowly through the booklet, noting several strange additions. "This trunk here," the boy pointed to a rather overly decorated trunk, much of it covered in what appeared to be steel. "How much for the Standard?"

"30 Galleons. Cheap but also basic, not even an Expansion Charm."

Harry took a quill from the desk and marked every box in the brochure. "I need all of this added to it. No point having anything less than the best for something that is going to be mine for at minimum seven years."

"Sir… that… that is going to cost an arm and a leg…"

"Which ones to you want? I mean I have two of each, might as well use them."

The girl looked at the boy completely shocked. "That… That adds up to… 2,000 Galleons…"

Harry shrugged and set the coins on the table, still best to have the best of everything so he only had to buy it once, besides this would give him an apartment he could live in without the insane rent that the Cauldron charged. 10 Galleons an hour for a room with no bed. Pure robbery. He still hadn't spent even half of his Galleons yet, so he was fine with the cost. "Nothing like a perfect trunk from a perfect teller at a perfect store." Now he was just laying it on thick, so the young woman would ring up the trunk just to get him gone, he was fine with making things creepy so long as it helps his long plan.

Harry left the store the proud soon to be owner of the highest of luxury trunks in all of Britain. He made his way through the Apothecary, buying up decent amounts of everything they had, and large amounts of potions vials, that was something he could get done while waiting for school to start, learning to brew potions. From there, the boy travelled between stores, collecting extra books and a broom, he was curious how those worked, as well as a book about how to make your own broom.

Harry's final stop of the day was to Gringotts. He spent much of the evening detailing the events of his life. His near death after teleporting to the top of the school building, his Uncle having beaten him. The scar he received from the hair incident with his teacher. And more. Lots more. Though the boy did not wish harm to his family, he also learned that these frauds were not his family. Petunia was a childhood friend of his mother's not her sister, and Vernon married her as a plea deal with Snape not to tell Voldemort about the bastard son he had created when he used the woman but couldn't kill her. According to the Goblins, the man was likely a Marked Death Eater, whatever that meant, which would account for his strong hatred of Harry.

Harry's description of the letter Dumbledore left with Aunt Petunia confused the Goblins as it seemed to indicate that Dumbledore trusted the Dursley's to safely look after Harry and not turn him in to the Dark Lord should he still be alive. It also assumed the fact that Petunia was a blood relative of Lily's, making something called a Blood Ward useless at Number Four. Everything the Goblins heard that day sent their blood boiling. This child was abused to no end and by people trusted by the Wizarding World. They would see justice done to the monsters that would attack in such a way.

Harry spent the night reading his book. Finishing the first before sunrise. Harry was always a quick learner and reader, though not studious about anything unless he wanted to know.

Harry woke with a start as an owl pecked at his window. It had been several days since his exploration of Diagon, during that time he had updated his wardrobe. He now wore tight, dark jeans with a button-up shirt and a leather dress vest daily. He was determined that he would look like someone worth knowing if it killed him. He really didn't want the attention, he just wanted out of the dirty stained grey hand-me-downs he had lived with his whole life.

The bird pecked again. They boy got up and pulled on one of his shirts before letting the bird in. It was carrying a package and was followed by three other birds, each setting its package on the table and leaving. Harry smiled at the number of items that came for him that morning. He had a productive week and had been able to negotiate for several items he found would be of value before he expressly went to the seedier parts of the Alley for a very delicate project he was determined he would finish by summer's end, a mere three weeks away now.

He unpackaged the first box, inside he knew, was his shrunken trunk, just small enough for the bird to carry properly. The black and steel trunk was placed on the floor. Harry pressed his hand to the locking mechanism. A needle came and withdrew blood from his palm and each of his fingers, binding the trunk to him and memorizing his Magical Signature. Slowly, the trunk expanded to its normal size. Harry laughed and opened it, peering down the stairway that delved deep into it. He grabbed his packages and entered his apartment trunk.

The apartment inside was mostly barren, save for the kitchen unit. Harry had decided not to go shopping for furniture until he knew what he had. The entrance led to the main den, an elaborately large one. From there, to each side were a few doorways and a hallway up the other side of the den. Harry went to each room and noted what was there. The ones on the left were the Potions Room, Ward Room, and Crafting Room. To the right were the Library, Practice Chamber, and Pantry. Harry grinned as he took note of the Book of Books in the center of the Library, it would track for him all of the books kept in the Library and help him find them.

He walked down the hall after setting his packages down in the Kitchen. Ten total rooms existed off the hall, the Master Suite being all the way to the end just before a stairway that led to the dungeons. Harry nodded, satisfied with the quality of the apartment. Not huge but far more extensive than he thought it would be. He walked back into the Kitchen and enlarged his food package. The stasis charms on the cupboards would keep the food as fresh as he put it in.

Next, he grabbed his bedroom set, small but he was thinking the apartment would be far smaller. He set up his twin sized bed and two dressers in the Master Suite. Finally, the boy went back up the stairs, using his Magical Signature to shrink the trunk, put it in his pocket and checked out of the Cauldron.

Harry spent the next few hours with a dark cloak over his head as he went in and out of the shadier shops in the Alleys. He was on a hunt for very specific materials. He finally entered what most would call a hole-in-the-wall shop, aptly named Tinker's Paradise. The shop had a little of everything. Harry had spent some time learning to feel with his Magic as he read through his books. They explained to him the process of finding a material that fit him for his Focus. He reached out in every store he visited, most being shielded outside Magics, other than Ollivander's who encouraged people to buy pre-made Wands, a relic store from a time of immense War, mostly with Goblins. Before that time the Ollivander family was a keen creator of Custom Foci to those who possessed the right material, money, and lacked the skill required to do it themselves. The choice was made to move to pre-made Wands when Goblins had a nasty habit of destroying Staves and other Foci in battle, thus making the Wand the best bet, small and easy to use, no hash side effects, if you don't count the general lack of skill, knowledge, and ability to preform most Magic.

Harry's senses stretched through the store as he walked amongst the aisles. As he walked he plucked several items from the shelves of the store, many not connected to his own Magic but could be useful to others like that blonde girl or the red-head he had seen before. It took him nearly two hours of walking the shelves of the old beat up shop to realize he could not find any Foci Cores here.


End file.
